The Great Songs of 1964 - Part I Quiz

Answer: Surfin' Bird

This hit was performed by the Trashmen from the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. Essentially, they combined two songs by the Rivingtons, "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" (a #48 song in 1962)and "The Bird's The Word" (a #52 song in 1963) which composed the other half of "Surfin' Bird" song's lyric. Musical synergy to yield a #4 song in 1964? The Trashmen's follow up number, "Bird Dance Beat" peaked at #30 in March, 1964 and that was it.

The cleverer lyrics of the Beatles, "Yeah, yeah, yeah", no doubt contributed to their demise!

Answer: There! I've Said It Again

Bobby Vinton rode this song to the top for the entire month of January. If the lyrics seem un-60's like, they are. The song was written in 1941 by Redd Evans and Dave Mann and the song was recorded and became a #1 hit for six weeks for Vaughn Monroe in 1945. Vinton was beginning to specialize in cover versions of older songs by this time, having four consecutive hits in 1963-4 fitting this mold.

Answer: Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um

Major Lance had a #5 hit, his biggest, with "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" in February of the year. His career spiralled downward thereafter, his last hit coming in 1966. By 1978, his personal life was in a shambles and he was convicted of selling cocaine, spending four years in prison.

He attempted a musical comeback but never again reached the heights he achieved in 1963-4. He died of heart failure in 1994 at age 55 .

Answer: T-Bird

This was the first of 5 top 25 songs the Beach Boys would have that year.

Answer: You Don't Own Me

I'm not too sure when the "women's lib" movement took root but these lyrics from Lesley Gore's hit sure resonates the philosophy. The words and music were written by men, however... John Madara and David White. This was Gore's fourth consecutive top ten song. She would have seven more top forty hits but no more top tens as her chart successes waned.

Answer: Suspicion

This was a #3 hit for Terry Stafford in March and was the only song that month to reach top 5 status that wasn't performed by the Beatles. "Suspicion" was written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman who wrote a good number of Presley hits. In fact, Presley recorded "Suspicion" on his 1962 album "Pot Luck". Stafford was a Presley sound alike and utilized that talent to good effect with this song.

He would have one other minor hit later in 1964 and by the late 60's, he turned fulltime to song writing. He died in 1996 at the age of 55.

Answer: Yes

Indeed "Hello Dolly" reached #1 on May 9th, 1964. This was significant for two reasons. First, it ended a thirteen week run for the Beatles at #1 with their trio of "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "She Loves You" and "Can't Buy Me Love". Second, Louis Armstrong, who recorded the song, was 62 years of age when the song reached #1 making him the oldest person ever to have a #1 hit.

As of the middle of 2004, this achievement has not been surpassed.

Answer: My Guy

Smokey Robinson wrote and produced this hit for Mary Wells as he had for other earlier Wells' songs such as "You Beat Me To The Punch" and "Two Lovers". She was Motown's first big star, most of the other companies big acts recording on the sister "Tamla" label. Wells beat the Supremes to the #1 Motown hit punch by three months, May for Wells, August for the Supremes with "Where Did Our Love Go".

Answer: World Without Love

"World Without Love" was a #1 song for Peter and Gordon for one week in June. It was written by Lennon and McCartney and turned out to be the biggest hit written by them not recorded by the Beatles. McCartney was dating Jane Asher at the time and she was the sister of Peter Asher, the Peter of the duo. Peter and Gordon disbanded in 1967 after a modest ten top 40 hit career and Peter Asher later became the manager of Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor.

Answer: Chapel Of Love

This song peaked at #1 for three weeks in June 1964. Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector, it was the recording debut for the Dixie Cups and proved to be their biggest hit by far. They were a trio from New Orleans consisting of two sisters, Barbara Ann Hawkins and Rosa Lee Hawkins and their cousin Joan Marie Johnson.

The group had three other top 40 hits before calling it quits in 1965.

Answer: Dang Me

"Dang Me" was Miller's debut on the charts, peaking at #7 in July. Mostly a country artist, several of his hits, all these included, crossed over to the pop charts where his zany sense of humor had universal appeal. He passed away of cancer in 1992 at the age of 56.

Answer: It never says

This was a #1 song for two weeks in July. The chorus goes "I get around, get around round, round, I get around from town to town" but those towns are never mentioned.

Answer: Memphis, Tennessee

This release, a #2 debut hit for Rivers, was recorded live at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go in Los Angeles and was part of a live album that peaked at #13 on the album charts. The song was written and recorded by Chuck Berry in 1959 but for some curious reason, it achieved no chart success at all. Meanwhile, Rivers continued to churn out hits well into the 70's and still tours actively as of 2004.

Answer: The Girl From Ipanema

The song was written primarily by Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. It was performed by legendary jazz tenor saxaphonist Stan Getz accompanied with the sensuous, breathy vocals of Astrud Gilberto, a Brazilian native by then living in America. This was the last hit that featured the bossa nova-ish Latin rhythms and it peaked at #5 in July 1964.

Incidently, the real girl from Ipanema recently made herself known and apparently her claim to the title has been legitimized.

Answer: My Boy Lollipop

Millie Small's (nee Millicent Smith) chart successes were few - this big #2 hit popular all over the globe and "Sweet William" which only reached #40 on the charts. Millie was born in Jamaica and was brought to England by Chris Blackwell to try to promote reggae and ska music overseas.

The shy Millie wasn't quite cut out for the task. Bob Marley, a few years later, became the reggae/ska guru.